Occupy Oakland ‘tent city’ faces eviction

In 11 days, Occupy Oakland's tent city has grown from some 50 tents to 180

It’s been 11 days since Occupy Oakland took over Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza, and now the tent city is bigger than ever and facing eviction.

Last week, there were more than 100 people living on the front lawn of Oakland City Hall in support of national, and now global, protests against economic inequality. Now there are over 550 people occupying Oakland’s plaza, even after they received an evacuation notice from the City Administrator’s Office on Thursday evening.

Occupy Oakland stems from the larger Occupy Wall Street protest that started over a month ago against corporate greed and the influence of big banks. Calling themselves “the 99 percent,” the protesters say they’re the ones taking the brunt of a bad economy, while the wealthiest one percent of the population continues to thrive. According to Khalid Shakur, a media and security guard for the Oakland protesters, the local group wants the city of Oakland to eliminate school and library closures, and establish guidelines for banking systems.

On October 10, the Occupy Oakland protesters took over the grass field at Oakland’s plaza in front of city hall. Over the last week and a half, protesters have built a complex city which includes amenities such as portable toilets, a security unit, medical assistance, arts and crafts, activities for children, a library, a gardening tent, and a kitchen that provides daily meals.